Dispensers for flowable materials are available in a variety of forms, but, generally, all have a chamber for storing material to be dispensed and a product outlet through which such dispensing occurs. In one common type of dispenser, material within the chamber is pushed through the product outlet by a piston mounted on a rod within the container. In such dispensers, material is generally discharged from the container by advancing the piston along the rod toward the product outlet. However, material is dispensed from some devices by moving the piston away from the outlet. In such dispensers, the rod is hollow and has an opening at the end of the container distal from the product outlet. Movement of the piston toward this opening advances material into and through the rod toward the product outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,822 to Boenecke, U.S. Pat. No. 2,163,974 to Blett, U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,511 to Coleman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,740 to Duda, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,417 to Kardel all disclose dispensers where an exterior actuator is rotated to move a piston downwardly on a hollow, threaded rod toward an opening at the bottom of the rod. The downward movement of the piston urges material within the dispenser to move into and upwardly through the hollow threaded shaft for discharge through an opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,881 to Howe and U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,300 to Nichols et al. disclose dispensing devices similar to those discussed in the preceding paragraph with material being discharged from the dispenser through brushes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,167 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,915, both to Boehm, relate to reciprocating plunger-type dispensers where material is discharged by pressing a finger piece downwardly. The downward axial movement of the finger piece is converted to rotational motion, causing tube 14 to turn. Rotation of tube 14 moves a piston downwardly and urges material into and upwardly through the tube for dispensing through a spout.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,244,894 to Renouf and U.S. Pat. No. 1,309,900 to MacCorkell relate to shaving brushes in which shaving cream from within a dispenser body is urged through a tube onto the brush by advancement of a piston toward the brush.
All of these references have a product outlet attached to and movable with the rod for mounting the piston. As a result, none can employ a relatively wide, stationary dispensing device suitable for use in applying deodorants and lotions. The present invention overcomes this deficiency.